This was a very ugly situation for two University of Utah College Republicans that could have ended much differently, except for the intervention by Erika Kirk.
What happened here? On September 10th, as many college groups, including College Republicans, were remembering Charlie Kirk on the first anniversary of his assassination. Of course, people were being increasingly nasty and crass about Charlie’s murder, including coining a term for the day: “Kirkaversary.”
At the University of Utah, a young woman approached the College Republicans with a cake wishing them “Happy Kirkaversary.” The College Republicans vice president, Rylie Barnes, posted this picture on X of the incident. (The full picture, if clicked on, shows the cake.)
What is wrong with students in Utah?? pic.twitter.com/KBu0jTQErx
— Rylie (@Rylieparis05) September 10, 2026
The College Republicans’ chairman, Riley Beesley, replied to Barnes’ post on X, saying “Imagine your (sic) Charlie Kirk’s kid and somebody bakes you this cake. These people are sick.”
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